Removable cover for display package



5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 5, 1965 Fig. l

Fig. 2

Fig. 3

INVENTOR. Robert V. Bur? ATTORNEY Sept. 6, 1966 R. v. BURT REMOVABLE COVER FOR DISPLAY PACKAGE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 5, 1965 Fig. 5

INVENTOR. Robert V. Bur? fl film ATTORNEY P 6, 1966 R. v. BURT REMOVABLE COVER FOR DISPLAY PACKAGE 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed May 5, 1965 Fig. 7

INVENTOR. Robert V. Bur? j 74/ ATTORNEY United States Patent Ohio Filed May 3, 1965, Ser. No. 452,717 7 Claims. (Cl. 20657) This invention relates to display packages and more particularly to a protective cover for a display package which is removable to permit access to the package contents.

In the packaging of folded articles of sheet material, e.g. facial tissues, paper towels and like products, the articles are usually stacked within a package which fully encloses the articles. This prevents an efiective display of the contents of the package when placed on a store shelf. Heretofore, display packages for articles of this class have not been successful for one of several reasons, e.g. the articles were not properly protected in the display package, or the display opening did not allow adequate inspection of the articles, or the protective covering over the display opening was difficult to remove without damaging either the package or the articles therein.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a package for sheet material such as facial tissues, paper towels and the like such that the articles can be visually displayed and inspected at the point of purchase.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cover member for a display package which allows effective display of the contents and yet alfords proper protection for the articles against damage through improper handling and other factors that would tend to detract from product appearance.

A further object of the invention is to provide a package having a relatively large display opening and a cover member for the opening which can be removed when desired, to gain access to the package contents with a minimum of elfort.

The nature and substance of the invention can be summarized as comprising a package having a relatively narrow inwardly extending rim surrounding one of its edges thereby leaving a large central opening for inspection of the contents of the package and later to allow removal of the contents. The central opening is protected by a cover member, the central part of which comprises a thin, flexible and preferably transparent closure sheet which protects the contents from dirt and foreign matter and yet allows inspection by a potential consumer. A relatively stiff border member forms the edge of the cover memher and the periphery of the closure sheet is adhered thereto. The border member underlies the rim of the finished package so that the closure sheet is stretched over the package contents to enhance the appearance of the finished package. In a preferred embodiment, an integral pull tab is provided on the border member which can be grasped and pulled to remove the cover member from the package.

While the specification concludes with claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter regarded as forming the present invention, it is believed the invention will be better understood from the following description taken in connection With the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a package blank which can be used in the practice of this invention.

3,2 70,875 Patented Sept. 6, 1966 FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the package blank of FIGURE 1 which has been partially folded and glued in the process of being erected.

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of one embodiment of the cover member.

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the assembled package with the cover member of FIGURE 3 in place.

FIGURE 5 is a cross section taken on the line 55 of FIGURE 4 with the thickness of the flexible closure sheet exaggerated for clarity of illustration.

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view showing the manner in which the cover member of FIGURE 3 can be conveniently removed.

FIGURE 7 is a plan view of another embodiment of the cover member.

FIGURE 8 is a perspective view showing the manner in which the cover member of FIGURE 7 can be conveniently removed.

Referring now to FIGURE 1, the package blank 10, which may be cut from paperboard, cardboard or the like, is divided successively into a side wall 11, an end wall 12, a side wall 13, an end wall 14 and a glue flap 15 by means of the parallel longitudinal scores 16, 17 and the parallel transverse scores 18, 19, 20 and 21. The blank is cut outwardly of the scores 18, 19 and 20 to provide the bottom closure flaps 22, 23, 24, 25 and the rim forming flaps 26,27, 28 and 29.

The rim forming flaps 26, 27, 28 and 29 have parallel horizontal scores 30 and 31 to divide each of the flaps into an inner panel 32, an intermediate panel 33 and an outer panel 34. Cut-outs are provided at 35, 36, 37 and 38 to provide clearance when assembling the package as will be apparent in the following description. A notch 39 is cut into the flap 26 to provide clearance for the glue flap 15 in the assembled package.

Each of the rim forming flaps 26, 27, 28 and 29 may be folded over and adhered in the manner illustrated in FIGURE 2. That is, they are folded on the scores 16, 30 and 31 into tubular support elements 40, 41, 42 and 43 which are similar in cross sections as better seen in FIGURE 5. In each case, the outer panel 34 is adhered against the side or end wall. The side and end walls are then folded on the scores 18, 19, 20 and 21 to form a rectangular box-like structure whereupon the glue flap 15 is tucked inside and adhered to the end of the side wall 11. In folding the package in this manner it will be apparent that the cut-outs 35, 36, 37 and 38 provide clearance for the ends of the tubular supports and 42 to form the mitered corners as best seen in FIGURES 4 and 6. In this condition, the package is ready to receive the cover member (which will now be described) and the product.

The cover member 44 illustrated in FIGURE 3 comprises a flexible closure sheet 45 which preferably is in the form of a thin transparent plastic material such as polyethylene, polypropylene or like materials. The cover member 44 also includes a relatively stitf border member 46 which may be formed from paperboard, cardboard or like materials. The closure sheet 45 and border member 46 are adhered together to complete the assembly. This prevents wrinkling of the closure sheet 45 and maintains it in taut condition when assembled. The border member 46 is preferably mitered at its corners as at 47, 48, 49 and 50 in order to provide clearance at the corners of the package when assembled therein. The

mitered corners allow flexing of the cover member 44 so that it will conform to the convex shape of the sheet material stack, e.g., facial tissues, in the package. The provision of mitered corners on the cover member also allows removal of the cover member without wrinkling or otherwise disturbing the sheet material in the package. In a preferred construction, a pull tab 51 is formed integral with the border member 46 extending inwardly to provide an easy opening device for the package as will be apparent as the description proceeds. In FIGURE 3 the pull tab 51 is in the form of a wedge shape as this was found to be a suitable shape for removal of the cover member 44. The cover member has an overall width and length just slightly less than the inside width and length dimensions of the finished package.

In assembling the package, the cover member 44 is first inserted through the open bottom closure flaps into the rectangular box-like package structure so that the cover member 44 bears against the rim 52 formed from the tubular support elements 40, 41, 42 and 43 (see FIG- URE 5 wherein the thickness of the closure sheet 45 has been exaggerated for clarity of illustration only). Thereafter, a stack of sheet material 53 is placed in the carton against the cover member 44 and the bottom closure flaps 22, 23, 24 and 25 are folded over and adhered to complete the package. It will be noted that the tubular support elements 40, 41, 42, 43 provide a relatively narrow rim 52 surrounding the entire top of the package as seen in FIGURES 4 and 5 and also leaving a relatively large central opening 54 through Which the articles comprising the sheet material 53 are readily visible when a. transparent closure sheet 45 is used. The intermediate panel 33 on the underside of the rim 52 serves as a stop in that the cover member 44 and the sheet material 53 bear against the rim member 52 which retains the cover member and sheet material in place during further handling, shipping, storing and sale of the package. While in the present embodiment a preferred tubular rim 52 is shown, it will be apparent that the cover member 44 can be used in a package in which an opening is cut from a wall to leave a rim which is as thick as the material of the wall itself or a rim can be made by merely doubling under an inner and outer panel.

When access to the package contents is desired, the consumer merely grasps and pulls the tab 51 as illustrated in FIGURE 6. The border member 46 has sufficient resiliency to allow deformation and withdrawal from beneath the rim 52 with a relatively light pulling force. On the other hand, the border member 46 has sutficient stiffness to maintain the closure sheet 45 tight and neat in the assembled package prior to removal.

In another embodiment, a cover member 55 as illustrated in FIGURE 7 may be provided. The cover member 55 comprises a flexible closure sheet 56 made of the same material or similar materials as in the closure sheet 45. The cover member 55 also includes a relatively stiff border member 57 which may be formed from paperboard, cardboard or like materials. A pull tab 58 in the form of a narrow strip is located intermediate the ends of the cover member 55. Preferably the pull tab 58 is integral with the longitudinal members 59 and 60 and bridges over opposite edges of said members. The closure sheet 56 and the border member 57 are adhered together to complete the assembly. In the preferred construction, however, the pull tab portion 58 is not adhered to the closure sheet 56. Mitered corners 61, 62, 63 and 64 are provided as in the case of the cover member 44 of FIGURE 3 and for the same reasons.

The cover member 55 may 'be assembled in the package in the same manner as heretofore described in connection with the cover member 44. When access to the package contents is desired, the consumer merely grasps and pulls the tab 58 as illustrated in FIGURE 8. The

border member 57 has sufilcient resiliency to allow deformation and withdrawal from beneath the rim 52 with a relatively light pulling force. Normally, however, the border member 57 has sufficient stiffness to maintain the closure sheet 56 tight and neat in the assembled package prior to removal.

The present invention has been found to have particular utility in the packaging of paper facial tissues, paper hand towels and like sheet material. However, the invention has broad utility for packaging sheet material of many types and materials such that the term "sheet material" as used herein and when applied to the present invention will be understood to be inclusive of any and all relatively flat articles of merchandise whether packaged singly or in multiples such as textile or paper handkerchiefs and napkins, carbon papers, stencil sheets, writing paper, bed sheets, pillow cases, and numerous other articles which may be either folded or extended when packaged.

While particular embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and it is intended to cover in the appended claims all such changes and modifications that are within the scope of this invention.

What is claimed as new is:

1. In a package for holding sheet material in a stack, said package having side walls, end walls and a top having a relatively narrow rim element formed thereon, a relatively large central opening in said top defined by said narrow rim, a stack of sheet material in said package with the upper edge of the stack bearing against said narrow rim of said top and being retained in the package by said narrow rim, the improvement comprising a cover member interposed between said stack of sheet material and said narrow rim of package material, said cover member comprising a thin, relatively flexible closure sheet of plastic material and a relatively stiff border member adhered to said closure sheet to hold said closure sheet in place under said narrow rim of carton material and to maintain said closure sheet taut and neat in appearance when assembled in position beneath said rim element, said cover member being removable to expose the sheet material by pulling inwardly on the cover member to dislodge the border member from under said narrow rim element of the package.

2. In a package structure as claimed in claim 1, a border member having mitered corners to allow flexing of the cover member when assembled in the package with a stack of sheet material.

3. In a package structure as claimed in claim 1, a pull tab joined to said border member, said pull tab projecting inwardly beyond the edge of said narrow rim element, said cover member being removable to expose the sheet material by pulling upwardly and outwardly on said pull tab with sufiicient force to dislodge the cover member from under the narrow rim of said package.

4. In a package structure as claimed in claim 3, a pull tab having a wedge shape extending from the border member.

5. In a package structure as claimed in claim 3, a pull tab in the form of a narrow trip bridging opposite edges of said border member intermediate its ends.

6. In a package structure as claimed in claim 3, a border member having mitered corners to allow flexing of the cover member when assembled in the package with a stack of sheet material.

7. In a package structure as claimed in claim 6, a closure sheet formed from thin transparent plastic material to permit visual inspection of the sheet material product in the package when said cover member is in place.

(References on following page) References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 6 References Cited by the Applicant UNITED STATES PATENTS 8/1935 Gessler. 5/1942 Ringler.

THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

W. T. DIXSON, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A PACKAGE FOR HOLDING SHEET MATERIAL IN A STACK, SAID PACKAGE HAVING SIDE WALLS, END WALLS AND A TOP HAVING A RELATIVELY NARROW RIM ELEMENT FORMED THEREON, A RELATIVELY LARGE CENTRAL OPENING IN SAID TOP DEFINED BY SAID NARROW RIM, A STACK OF SHEET MATERIAL IN SAID PACKAGE WITH THE UPPER EDGE OF THE STACK BEARING AGAINST SAID NARROW RIM OF SAID TOP AND BEING RETAINED IN THE PACKAGE BY SAID NARROW RIM, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING A COVER MEMBER INTERPOSED BETWEEN SAID STACK OF SHEET MATERIAL AND SAID NARROW RIM OF PACKAGE MATERIAL, SAID COVER MEMBER COMPRISING A THIN, RELATIVELY FLEXIBLE CLOSURE SHEET OF PLASTIC MATERIAL AND A RELATIVELY STIFF BORDER MEMBER ADHERED TO SAID CLOSURE SHEET TO HOLD SAID CLOSURE SHEET IN PLACE UNDER SAID NARROW RIM OF CARTON MATERIAL AND TO MAINTAIN SAID CLOSURE SHEET TAUT AND NEAT IN APPEARANCE WHEN ASSEMBLED IN POSITION BENEATH SAID RIM ELEMENT, SAID COVER MEMBER BEING REMOVABLE TO EXPOSE THE SHEET MATERIAL BY PULLING INWARDLY ON THE COVER MEMBER TO DIS- 